Being Erudite
by Soska
Summary: Why did Caleb do what he did? And to his sister? Was he just evil? Or did he have his reasons? Or was he under orders from some one he couldn't deny? Rated T for DivergenT. First Fanfic
1. Chapter 1

I hold my bleeding hand over the Erudite bowl without letting any blood fall. It's what the aptitude test said, right? I'm meant for Erudite. But I'm from Abnegation. How could an Abnegation, or a stiff, fit into their most hated faction? They may not admit it, but it's true. The reports antagonizing the faction and their values. But if I stay, I don't think I'll be able to stand being selfless for the rest of my life. I may be able to now, but not forever. Plus, in Erudite, I can learn and read and do all the things I wasn't allowed to in Abnegation because it was considered self-indulgent. I turn my hand ever so slightly, and let the blood that has pooled in my hand fall into the water tinted pink by others who have chosen to live the lives of knowledge. I hear gasps all around me. A stiff? In Erudite? I turn to look at my family one last time. My father looks angry, but covers it up with the mask of Abnegation. My mother has a faint smile, but sadness in her eyes. What parent wouldn't be sad that their child left them for another faction? I look to Beatrice. She looks shocked. She probably thought I would choose Abnegation. I look away from my family and to Erudite. They have looks of shock and smirks on their faces. I walk over to them and sit down. One of them hands me a gauze to wrap my hand to stop the bleeding. I take it and watch the next person to choose.

After Marcus stares at me for a moment before calling out the next name. A name I know so well. A name I grew up with. "Beatrice Prior," I look over to Beatrice. She is hard to find in the sea of grey, but I find her with her golden locks in a bun made by my mother. She looks as if contemplating to get up or to stay in her seat. but she gets up anyways and walks stiffly to the stage. I regret my word choice as soon as I make them. She takes the now clean knife from Marcus with shaky hands. She looks at all the faction bowls before cutting her hand without even a wince. She holds he hand over the Abnegation bowl. _Good,_ I think. Someone has to stay for the family, but I just couldn't. The thought of being stuck inside the stuffy walls of an Abnegation house for the rest of my life sends shudders down my spine. But just before the blood can fall, she flings her hand over to the Dauntless bowl. my eyes get wide as the blood drops, sizzling on the burning coals. My sister? In Dauntless? It terrifies me, but I'm happy that she chose where she wanted to be. She walks over to the Dauntless who are still hooting for the new initiate. Some smack her back. I wince. _Be careful with my sister you hooligans_.

More names are called, and more people choose. Robert chose Amity, surprisingly, while Susan stayed in Abnegation. I somberly smile. I'm going to miss her. But after every sixteen year old from every faction has chosen, the Dauntless stampede down the stairs hooting and yelling. My sister runs after them, disappearing in the sea of black. After they are all gone, the Erudite all stand up. I stand with them. As they begin to leave, my Abnegation kicks in and before I know it, I'm picking up chairs with the rest of my old faction. A carefully manicured hand grabs my arm. I look up and see a sneer plastered onto a small and delicate face, framed by short blonde hair with a thin, ski-slope nose and celery green eyes.

"Once a stiff, always a stiff 'eh?"

I back away from the chair and walk out of the room, following the group of Erudite out the door and towards the elevator without saying anything to the girl. I've never been on an elevator. We always let others go on and used the stairs. I hear her scoff and run up behind me. Her hand, once again, grabs my arm. I look back at her while still walking to the elevator.

"What?" I ask annoyed at her jab from earlier

"_Sorry_, no need to take it personally. I realize now, the mistake I made. You aren't a stiff if you have enough guts to transfer to Erudite. My name is Cara,"

"Caleb," I respond, emotionless. _Like an Erudite._

"I know," She smiles with her brilliant white teeth, "Everyone knows the names of the Abnegation transfers,"

I smile and look forward. The elevator is right in front of me. I almost walked into the wall. I stumble to stop myself. I hear some snickers behind me. I don't look though, out of sheer pride. I turn towards the elevator and walk in without a word. It's cramped with twelve or so Erudite transfers and Cara all together. Someone clicks the first floor button and we all wait in silence. It feels like I'm falling on the inside. My stomach feels weird and I'm getting dizzy. I hope the elevator is almost done. After a few more seconds of silence, the doors open, and we all walk out. Jeanine, the leader of Erudite is already there. She looks over everyone. Her eyes catch mine and analyzes me with intense curiosity. I stand up straighter. I feel naked in front of her. Like she cold figure out my deepest, darkest secrets just by looking at me. She looks away and continues to analyze other transfers. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. She opens her mouth and says a few words that change my life. I have yet to find out if it's for the better or for the worse.

"Transfers," She says, "Welcome to Erudite."

**So yeah! Do you think it was a good start? Revieeeewww!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jeanine looks around at our reactions. Some are wary, some are bored, some are giddy.

"Now if you'll follow me," She says, speaking like a perfect Erudite, "I'll show you to the cars."

"Cars?" Someone asks. I look over at who did. The someone is a he with pale, white skin in black clothes. Dauntless transfer I assume. He has short, curly black hair with a streak of neon green running through it. A piercing through his nose and eyebrow, and a tattoo of a skull under his right ear where his jawline starts. I'm pretty sure his name is Ashur.

"Why yes," Jeanine answers, "How else do you expect to get to the Erudite compound?"

He stays quiet after that. I've never ridden in a car before. Susan's dad has offered to take us to the hub before in his, but we always had to turn it down since it would've been self-indulgent to ride in his car while other's couldn't. I've always wondered what it was like on the inside of a car since I've only seen the outside. A sleek silver shaping the car to be aerodynamic, while also having an aesthetic appeal. The windows are tinted black which made me unable to see anything on the inside other than the faint outline of the person inside. I hurriedly walk with the rest of the group outside to see six cars lined side by side.

"Two to a car," Jeanine says

Everyone immediately runs to find a partner to sit inside the car with. Everyone avoids me until there is only one left. A tall girl with caramel brown hair that falls in waves around her shoulders. She has a nose that is a little too long for her face and hazel eyes that have a twinkle of mischief in them. She has a white blouse with the sleeves rolled up and black leggings that show off the curve from her waist to her hips. She has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip. Lindsay, I think was her name. She walks up to me tentatively as if I was in danger of exploding. Candor's never really had anything against Abnegation until Erudite began releasing the reports against us. _Them_ I remind myself.

"Hi, I'm Lindsay," Her voice sounds tinkly like bells. I suddenly want her to keep talking.

"Caleb,"

"I know," She says. I hear a snort from behind me that could only be from Cara. I smile remembering that that was exactly what she had said to me. People begin walking to the cars. we walk together but not too close to each other. It's almost as if she is straining to avoid me. I frown, _I have to change that,_ I think.

"So, why'd you choose Erudite," I ask her once we're in the car trying to strike up a conversation.

I hear her snort, "Because it was my aptitude test result,"

"Well, yeah," I mumble under my breath

"What was that?" she asks.

"Nothing," I respond, almost too quick.

We remain silent for the rest of the ride to the headquarters. I take this time to observe the interior of the car. The seats are black, soft leather. The hum of the engine under me is soothing, lulling me to sleep.

After about fifteen minutes, I am gently shaken awake. I blink, unaware at first where I was. Then it all came rushing back. The choosing ceremony, Jeanine, cars, Lindsay. I sit up in the chair, stretching my back. I slide out of the car seat and look at the surroundings. The buildings towering over us, blocking the sun from our eyes. The buildings made of glass and steel. Jeanine walks inside, expecting us to follow, and we did. I rub the sleep out of my eyes as we walk into a building shorter than the rest. four or five floors at least. The group walks inside and we walk into a library with tall bookshelves, taking up what I thought were two floors in height, lining the walls. Heavy books making the shelves sag. The familiar smell of pages in the air. I perk up immediately at the thought of reading. There are sets of stairs on the right and left walls.

"This is the dorms, where you will be sleeping for the next few weeks. The boys' dorms are on the left, girls' dorms on the right. The restrooms are another floor up. Change into proper Erudite attire and meet me back here in ten minutes,"

I head to the left staircase with the other boys. The Dauntless transfers making noise as they stomp up the stairs. I was never allowed to make noise, since it would've disturbed others through the thin walls of the Abnegation houses. I walk up silently, out of habit. In the dorms, I look around at the rest of the initiates. Three Dauntless, three Candor, and me. There are eight beds with navy blue sheets. I claim a bed against the far wall. Underneath the bed, there are bins with blue clothes. Pale blue jeans and a royal blue polo shirt. There are even blue glasses. I decide to take them just for fun. I head up one more flight of stairs and enter the restrooms. The walls are painted a powder blue with matching tile floors. Shower stalls on the left, toilet stalls on the right, and sinks with mirrors overhead. I always wondered what my reflection looked like, but I don't look out of Abnegation habits.

I change in the shower stalls, and head to the sink after I'm done. Crumpled Abnegation clothes, and glasses in hand. I put down my old clothes and force myself to look in the mirror. Dull green eyes, brown hair and an average face. It doesn't look good on me. I sigh and look at the glasses in my hand. Clear glass framed by blue plastic. I look up at the mirror and slowly put on the glasses. I actually look like an Erudite. The one that my old faction was trained to hate. I can't believe that this is actually happening. Who could've guessed that an Abnegation, one supposedly as selfless as me, would've joined Erudite. _Why do you care? You can't turn back now. You're an Erudite through, and through._

**Soo? Was it any good? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I realize that you, Hufflepuff, are my only reader, and I am actually happy since I thought that I would get none. Thank you. Sorry I haven't been updating much lately. I've been mulling over an idea I got for a Hunger Games fanfic. Here we go, bro. (I really hope that sticks)**

I walk out of the bathroom, glasses still on my face. They feel surprisingly normal on my nose and around my ears. The former Candor and Dauntless initiates look up at me as I enter the dorm room. Their eyes follow me as I walk across the room to walk down the stairs, never saying a word which was odd for a Candor. I get downstairs and find the girls there already. I walk over to Lindsay and give a small smile. She looks over at me with a strange mixture of apprehension and pity on her face. I feel like an odd one out here. Maybe I should've stayed in Abnegation. The faction of the selfless. The faction where I'm from.

**Look! A wild page break!**

It's been two weeks since I transferred from Abnegation into Erudite. Almost everyday there have been tests of all kinds. Personality tests, physical exams, factual tests, and so on and so forth. I'm pretty sure I've done well on them considering the looks of pride I get from Jeanine every now and then. I no longer feel out of place. All the transfers are more comfortable around me. Lindsay also, which makes me happier than I expected. On the day of visiting day, I go on a walk throughout the Erudite headquarters in a futile attempt to memorize all of it. There are just so many hallways and corridors with twists and turns every ten feet. I'm walking along a corridor I don't recognize when I see a room with its door open and noises coming from inside. I walk up to it as silently as I can to try and listen. I'm just curious, not eavesdropping. I think.

"No, no, no! The serum has to hold all of the Dauntless for two days!" Whisper yells a female voice. _Dauntless? Tris!_

"Well, ma'am," _Ma'am? No one in erudite is called ma'am except for Jeanine. _So the female voice was Jeanine. "The serum can hold a Dauntless, its the computer. It can't handle having so many serum transmitters connected to it at once,"

_Serum transmitters? If they could just up the ram while keeping the heat down, they can handle TENS of thousands of transmitters._ **(Idk, I just needed to have him find a solution)**

I find myself voicing the last part aloud and silently curse myself for my stupidity.

"Who's out there?" Asks Jeanine after shushing the other person in the room with her.

I slowly walk from next to the door, against the wall, to in the door way, in clear sight of all of two people in the small office. A mahogany desk with a sleek black laptop that sits atop it whirring with the effort to keep up with the man's ferocious typing.

"Caleb?" She asks, almost incredulous, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you plan on controlling the entirety of Dauntless,"

Her eyes widen. She seems to be thinking in the time of her surprised stupor. Then, slowly, an evil grin spreads across her face, her watery grey eyes turning darker to a shade of stormy grey. "Well, then I guess since you already know, you can help me. Unless you want, for an undisclosed reason to be kicked out of Erudite. _Kicked out? I can't be factionless! That's the bottom! The people who don't belong!_

"Please," I say, almost begging "Please, don't let me become factionless,"

"Good," Her grin growing.

Over the next two hours, she explains her plan, which is highly unethical. What if I were to tell everyone? But she has me under her thumb with her threat to make me factionless. I already let my family down once, I can't do it again. She explains how she plans to put everyone in Dauntless under a simulation-type sleep and overthrow Abnegation. This part makes me jump. Overthrow Abnegation? She just backed me into a corner. She explains about Divergents and what they are and what they can do. The way she describes them makes me shudder. Evil humans bent on overthrowing the faction system. I can't imagine a life without the faction system. The one thing keeping our disruptive community safe and in line. She explains why she wants to get rid of Abnegation. She almost makes me agree with her and her twisted words. Almost. I can tell she is holding something back after she is done. I don't ask in fear of making her do something rash.

"And the first way you can help, is by getting rid of your sister," She shows her laptop screen to me, security footage from outside of the building I'm in. Beatrice is shoving her way through the throngs of Erudite. She looks thin and fit, her hair in a pony tail and her limb moving freely in her black dauntless clothes. "Make her go away,"

"But why?" I can't have my sister hating me. More so since I transferred to Erudite.

"She's Divergent. We can't have a Divergent figuring out our plans and destroying the faction system," She goes on and on about how I have no choice about what I do and how I have to do what shes says, but I stop listening. _My sister? Divergent? Does that mean I'm Divergent too?_

**Bum, bum, bum, BUM! I'll leave you at that, Hufflepuff. I bid you adieu until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeey! So, I realize that I haven't been doing disclaimers. So, Divergent isn't mine. It is the LOVELY LOVELY LOVELY Veronica Roth's and if anyone says otherwise, punch them in the face. So, without further adieu, Let's go, bro. (YES!)**

Everything is whirling inside my head. Jeanine had said that Divergents are people who had more than one test result. But I had only one test result. But Tris is Divergent. My Erudite-Divergent-I don't know mind is reeling while Jeanine is staring at me. Analyzing me. Looking for my reaction. If Jeanine wants to kill all Divergents, that means she wants to kill my sister. So if I fake being on Jeanine's side, I can keep her safe. Even if it ends with her hating me. Faction before blood is stupid. Your family should always come first.

With everything telling me not to, I squeeze out "I'll do it,"

Jeanine looks at me for a moment. Incredulous. I guess she wasn't expecting me to agree. Well I wasn't either, but look at where I am.

After composing herself she says a harsh "Good," and tells me to go.

I do, desperate to get out of that madwoman's office. Why did I choose Erudite? They were my test results, but I knew, right from the start that 'Faction before Blood' was complete bull shit. I slowly walk to the bottom of the building, retracing the steps from my walk that I regret ever taking. But, eventually, I get to where Tris is stationed, ready to rip off Martha, the secretary's head. I sigh, already regretting what I'm about to do.

"Beatrice?" I ask with as much fake curiosity as I can muster

The whips to my direction. Her eyes instantly go to my fake glasses and book in my hand. She runs into my chest and throws her arms around me. Her hug is tight and I almost can't breathe. She really got strong at Dauntless. I look down at her hair smiling at the familiar sight when something catches my eye. A tattoo. Three ravens along her collar cone paused in flight towards her heart.

"You have a tattoo," I say. Dauntless really has changed her. She's not the Tris I used to know. I bury my face in her shoulder so she won't hear my voice cracking.

"You have glasses," She retorts. She pulls back and narrows her eyes. She looks like an Erudite when she does that. Was that one of her factions? "Your vision is perfect, Caleb, what are you doing?"

"Um..." I look at the tables behind Tris. Are any of these Erudite working for 'Bad Jeanine'? I can't know for sure so I decide to take Tris somewhere more secluded. "Come on. Let's get out of here." I say it as casually as possible so as not to attract suspicion. I walk out the building, expecting Tris to come with me. I wonder if I'm going too fast for her, but I can't slow down for her. I'm not in Abnegation anymore. I bring her to Millenium and to the bean. I have found that the bean is a great place to read if you don't want anyone to bother you. A lot of Erudite look my way with confused faces. I pick up my pace, hoping Tris gets the message.

I run my hands through my hair. Ashamed of what I'm about to do. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to go home and this was the closest thing I could think of,"

**I'm going to skip this part because it's in the book and y'all know it.**

I look at Beatrice as she races out of the bean and away from me. I can't believe I just said that! I was too harsh. I should've been nicer. Can't she see I'm trying to help her? Keep her alive? I tried to hint that Abnegation and Erudite were about to go to war without fighting and that she was in danger, but she wouldn't catch on! I was so nervous thinking that everyone who looked at us was a spy for Jeanine. I'm so conflicted. I don't know who to trust. I don't know who to think. _I don't know who I am._

**How did you like it? I know it's short. I'll try to make them a bit longer, but I can't promise. Kiss, kiss! (Really hope _that_ doesn't catch on)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heyyyy. Hoew's it going? Sorry I haven't updated recently. School's been happening and I haven't had time. It sucks. I'm so, so, sorry. So, without further Adieu, here we go, bro.**

**A wild disclaimer! I don't own Divergent! All rights go to Veronica Roth!**

I sigh as Beatrice walks away. I sit for a moment, wallowing in my own thoughts. Oblivious to the other Erudites staring at me. I slowly get up and walk towards the dorms. As the building looms ahead, I feel no giddiness as I once did first arriving the headquarters. The feeling of excitement and curiosity gone, replaced by dread and despair. Any good memories now dim and unreachable, pushed away by Jeanine's craving for power. I can't imagine that only a few hours ago, I was wandering Erudite headquarters in a happy, content mood. How will I ever escape this nightmare?! **(Labyrinth. Ahhh! I love book puns) **I see Lindsay there and I walk over to her. She looks up at me and smiles. Her beautiful green eyes shining in the afternoon light.

"Hi Caleb," Her raven black hair falling around her hair and shoulders like a silky waterfall. In that moment, that moment of slight happiness, I break. I tell her everything. Jeanine's plan, the Divergents, Dauntless and their serums, and it feels like a ten ton weight has come off my entire being. A weight that I didn't know had accumulated until it was gone. A new feeling grew in me. Relief. And happiness. With revenge at Jeanine. It was definitely one of my better nights at Erudite.

**One day later**

After mulling it over last night, I have come to a decision. I refuse. I would rather die than hurt my sister and my old faction. The faction I should have chosen. The faction I _belong. _Fuck the aptitude test! I _refuse _to let Jeanine take control of me and hang the factionless below me like a pool of sharks. I walk to Jeanine's office. The hallways seem to stretch out around me. And the walls seem off. Nothing's different. Just... _off._ I wonder what it is. I don't even realize I'm falling until the floor sends a shock through my body.

"_Wha-"_

A cold cackle jerks me to reality.

"What's happening?"

A harsh, female voice says something but I can't hear her. Everything is fading around me. Turning slowly to black. The floor turning colder and colder under me.

"Oh, Caleb. You're so _stupid,"_ The voice rings in my ears as I get lost between the lines of consciousness and it's opposite.

**-o0o-**

A harsh light shines in my eyes. I move to turn it off, but I find my hands and arms, practically my entire body restrained by rope. I wonder where I am. My eyes widen. _Where am I?_ I can't remember. I'm Caleb Prior, and I am an Erudite transfer from Abnegation. Erudite and Abnegation are in a tense situation. Erudite is waging war on Abnegation but the Abnegation don't know. The war is being led by Jeanine Matthews. Who will force the Dauntless into war under the influence of serums. I was forced into this by Jeanine herself. I was going to quit. I accepted being factionless.

It all came crashing to me. the hallway, the voice, losing consciousness. My body feels weak. Heavy. As if my veins have been filled with lead. I can barely lift my head. It's hard to even blink. I shift my head to the left to try and get a better look at where I am, but I fail miserably. It's enough for my captors apparently.

"So the _idiot's _awake," The voice is coming from behind me, followed by a short cackle. I try to figure out who it is by their voice. A terse, clipped, female voice. With an Erudite undertone.

Jeanine. I try to retort back. Maybe throw my quitting in her face, but I seem to have lost control of my tongue.

"I suppose you wonder what you're doing here," Again, no tongue movement or lip formations, but I can feel my fingers twitching to life. "Well, you were being stupid. You threw away your trust and you broke your promise. And you should _never_ break your promises. Didn't mommy ever teach you that?"

My hands are moving now, feeling for a knot. But slowly enough that Jeanine doesn't notice.

"You're lucky I didn't kill you on the spot." A muffled scream that doesn't sound like Jeanine startles me. "Shut up," Jeanine seethes. But I don't feel as if it's directed at me. My hands find the knot and I quickly untie it. I hesitate before jumping away. What if she's going to tell me something? What if I'll need it? Why is he the enemy? I'm quickly disgusted with myself. Erudite has changed me.. I jump away from the chair and spin around to see my captors.

I see something I don't expect. Something I can't believe.

I'm confused for the second time today. I see Jeanine with a gun in her hand pointed at a blindfolded and gagged Lindsay.


End file.
